NOVEMBER 5, 2004

Why RBS is irrelevant to Coulthard's future

There is speculation that the financial clout of the Royal Bank of Scotland is being used to try to convince Williams to accept David Coulthard as a driver. This is entirely false and similar to arguing that Williams will decide on Antonio Pizzonia if Petrobras comes up with more money for the team.

Since when did Williams sign drivers based on sponsorship? Sponsorship may follow as the result of a deal with a driver but Williams's aim is always to get the best available drivers and if sponsorship follows as a result this is a bonus. The Royal Bank of Scotland decided to support Williams when it looked as though Jenson Button would be joining the team and so the idea that they are now pushing hard for David Coulthard is not really relevant. The team is also believed to have only a passing interest in Mika Hakkinen as the Finn has left too many question marks about his motivation. And while BMW might be interested in seeing Nick Heidfeld in one of the cars, the Munich manufacturer knows full well that the decision over drivers is down to Williams. If Frank Williams and Patrick Head can be convinced that Nick Heidfeld is a faster driver than Antonio Pizzonia and will score more World Championship points in 2005 they will look at hiring the German driver, if not they will not.